Eamonn Holmes has been vocal about his thoughts on Phillip Schofield following the latter’s resignation from ITV. Schofield was dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to an “unwise, but not illegal” affair with a young male colleague on This Morning. Some former This Morning employees have come out to criticise the culture at the broadcaster. In a post on Instagram, Schofield hit back at the critics, saying that there was “no toxicity” on This Morning.
However, former This Morning Resident Doctor, Dr Ranj Singh, has spoken out against the show’s “toxic” culture, saying he raised concerns about “bullying and discrimination” two years ago when he worked there and afterwards felt like he was “managed out” for whistleblowing. Singh’s comments appear to be in disagreement with Schofield’s statements regarding the show’s culture.
Holmes soon joined the conversation, accusing Schofield of toxicity, stating: “I think that Phillip is absolutely right about toxicity, but my friend, the toxicity is not with me, Dan Wootton, or anyone else, the toxicity is with you.” Holmes and his wife Ruth Langsford previously presented This Morning together on Fridays.
Schofield has yet to comment on Holmes’ accusation.
This latest revelation comes after Schofield resigned from ITV. His announcement was made via a statement, in which he said: “You never know what’s going on in someone’s seemingly perfect life, what issues they are struggling with, or the state of their wellbeing, and so you won’t know what has been consuming me for the last few years.” It is not known what issues he was referring to in his statement.
In light of the revelations, YMU, whom he was signed with, confirmed they were dropping him. “YMU can confirm Phillip Schofield is no longer a client of the agency,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Our focus remains on representing our remaining clients as we have done for the past 25 years.”
Schofield’s wife, Stephanie Lowe, has reportedly given him the full support he needs at this difficult time.
This is not the first time that ITV and their employees have been caught up in controversy. In 2020, there was a well-publicised row between Schofield and his co-host, Amanda Holden. There were rumours of a feud between them, with Holden reportedly unhappy that she didn’t get the job as This Morning’s permanent co-host. The pair have since cleared the air, and there are no reports of any ongoing issues.
The culture at ITV has come under scrutiny before, with accusations of a toxic work environment. In 2018, journalist Sir Trevor McDonald commented on the “unpleasant” culture at the TV network, stating: “there is no doubt that complaints of bullying, harassment and misuse of power in the industry are on the up.”
More recently, ITV’s Love Island faced criticism after one of its contestants, Caroline Flack, tragically took her life in 2020, leading to a review of the show’s aftercare policy.
It remains to be seen how the current controversy surrounding Schofield and This Morning will affect both him and the show’s future. However, it is clear that concerns about toxicity and workplace culture are issues that need to be addressed in the TV industry as a whole.
